New York Motorized Bicycle Regulations

Here's what I've found. You have to register with DMV as a moped or else it's ILLEGAL! "Motorized bicycles" are ILLEGAL. "Mopeds" are legal if registered and insured, inspected, and you are wearing a DOT helmet.

"A bicycle to which a small motor is attached. A motor-assisted bicycle does not qualify for a registration as a motorcycle, moped or ATV and does not have the same equipment."

It goes on to say:
"These devices are not allowed on any street, highway, parking lot, sidewalk or other area that allows public motor vehicle traffic. You are subject to arrest if you operate one of these motorized vehicles and do not have a registration, driver license, inspection, insurance or correct equipment."

I've seen one person with a whizzer with full turn signals, reflectors, horn, headlight, and mirror who was able to get it registered in NY as a class B moped. He had to have insurance and a driver's license, though.

One.. I see the definition of motor-assisted bicycle, and Two.. I see that NYS does not allow them in public period !! Bummer.. I can see that NYS has over ridden the Federal Law for motor-assisted bicycle. I guess states can do what ever they like. Bummer about NYS making them only allowed on private property bucking federal law. Wow !!!! I had no idea there was any state that disallowed them all together. I know some states regulate them and make you buy a sticker. But.. To not allow them at all. NYS is the only state I know of so far that does not allow them in public. Looks like you will have to pedal for now.. maybe with gas prices keep going up, NYS can look at this again.. and do what AZ did and make state law mirror fed law. We can only hope. I hope they can consider these bike before gas hits 5 or 6 dollars a gallon. O well. We shall see...

I remember you saying something about moving to Massachusetts, here is a 2 page article which pretty much sums up that state, under 50cc is the whole proof/arguement, and riding on the sidewalk appears to be okay.

The article starts with a guy getting a ticket in a motorized wheelchair, trying to buy food at a drive-thru window....

The law says
Four simple criteria define normal cars and trucks, said Sergeant Michael Maffei, a veteran of the Cambridge Police Department's traffic unit. If state law requires your wheeled contraption to be inspected, registered, and insured, and to be driven by an appropriately licensed driver - e.g., for a motorcycle, you need a motorcycle operator's license - then it's an ordinary "motor vehicle." Every word of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, the law of the road, applies to you.

"If it doesn't check off those four boxes," Maffei said, "it's an exception."

Motorized wheelchairs are one such exception. The law acknowledges their existence, but prohibits them from being driven on roadways as vehicles, because most travel only about 5 miles per hour. (A person in a motorized wheelchair is considered just another pedestrian, Maffei said.)

Other "exceptions" are allowed on roadways, albeit under their own special, and often screwy, rules.

Take mopeds, for instance. Mopeds don't need license plates and don't need to be inspected, but you must have a driver's license to operate one, and you must wear a helmet.

You can drive a moped on the street, but not on a divided highway, and never faster than 25 miles per hour. You can drive a moped in an on-street bike lane, but you can't drive a moped on an off-road recreational path, such as the Minuteman Bikeway.

The difference between a moped and a motorcycle? If your moped's engine is less than 50 cubic centimeters in size, it's considered a "motorized bicycle." Even if you run a red light, the maximum fine you can get is $25. If your moped's engine is bigger than 50cc, the state considers it to be a motorcycle, and thus no different than a car

Click to expand...

Sideshow, if you wanted to copy/quote this article for a Massachusetts thread, it would make a good place to start !

Hey guy's Having read the last links @ NYS Law. The Law states opperation of one of these devices. Does that mean it's illegal to even pedal my HT in public?

ATT: Dax, that ring was .040 undersize, I put it on the bottom piston ring and it runs! Got @ 10 miles on it before I read this thread! Wish I had a camera to take a picture of the way BPD looked at me, just pedalin away! He seen me at @ 200yds and I had the motor killed by 150yds. I just think he was to wore out before shift change to even ask! The face he made almost broke me up. I held mine straight tho! He just breezed by, hahaha! Thanks again!

Should always be ok (legal) if we are just pedaling. No judge should care about that !! Can you register it as a mop-head - they I think would be legal - I know - lights - horn and all that other stuff !!!. Mountainman

That's a real good question but I could tell you the answer with almost 100% certainty is no.

Is anybody aware of Federal Law granting the right to ride pedal assist??? If so than I would say I've got an argument here and will gladly take it up with this State thats been screwing me since birth!

Key word was opperating in my last post. I read an article about a guy getting a DUI for walking his bike (not sure what State). They said he was opperating it.

The reason I say no to your question Loquin is because A) your not in Kansass anymore Totto and B) the Feds addopted what is called the peaceable journey clause in the 60's or 70's. This clause allowed Federal right of gunowners to transport thier firearms in trunk or locked box accross State lines to another State where they had legal right to have them. I know of at least one case where NY jammed Law abidding owners. Not sure how it turnned out but wish things were not like this here.

If they want to run our Country like a 3rd world Country, least they could do is let us travel to work like they do and not make it illegal.

well yeah motorized bikes and other such vehicles are illegeal in nys. also the mini bikes are totally illegal but people/kids are riding them like crazy. they ride like motorcycle clubs.. that is in packs. they wear no helmets, pads. they have no headlights. tail lights, or turn signals. they have a running bike with brakes for the most. sometimes the cops catch em but sometimes they really dont bother until unless you are on a sidealk or something. i am not encouraging it but this is my observation.

yes they read very uptight. but i have rarely seen anyone getting into big trouble. at the most i knew one guy getting a $42 ticket and a court date. i am from the new york city and these pack riders are not like a registered club but still a good group of kids riding together. they have a good sense of togetherness. I call them 0%ers as they ride like outlaw motorcycle clubs but they are not on motorcycles. but since they are on two wheels and riding something that is outlawed, i call them 0%ers. in my eyes they are outlaws. if i ever start a MB club i'll get back patches for all the members that will read 0%ers but right now i have to get my chopper bike done. if anyone wants to start a MB club called 0%ers at their location feel free to but let me know also so we can hammer out the details. i am pretty Serious about this 0%ers Mb club and brotherhood thing. another thing is that whenever I start a MB club here at New york city named 0%ers, you will have to count us as your NYC chapter. c'mon wouldnt it be great to have brothers of the same family all over and people give us big recognition. its a big dream but if we all MB riders stand together we can make it happen in just a little time. thanks all.

You've got the right idea... Print those kids up t'shirts on your home P.C.

We need to do something here in NY to gain publicity (in a positive way)! These bikes get 200mpg and our law makers should not be making us risk felony UUV laws for doing so!

I'm glad NYC is active with these bikes. Are they HT's they're runnin?
Could you send some pics?

I'm in little ole Buffalo, these people are pathetic here. Can't get them to J- walk together in Amherst to save the life of a runover dog yet alone ride a MB!

As far as Color's go Make 'em MBC of NYC with our website link for people to do some educational reading here. Don't want to make em seem like bad guy's. Besides the Cop's should have respect for them now, after all they are future shareholders in this Country (after they pass this corrupt economic stimulis package).

They've got more smarts at 200mpg than whats going on, on Wall Street. Hope you get 20 or so together and plan a ride down the middle of it!!! Get 15 other's and I might consider throwing my bike in my car trunk and comming out!

Truth be told, you are amongst the best band of brother's you can get, right here. I would do anything in my power to see you get another HT on the road in NY!

No offense to the moderators of this board, www.motorbicycling.com is another great link to information and people.

I have seen MB'ers on both sights share knowledge that took years to obtain just to better the hobby, we share. It would sure be nice to have a buch of others here in the Buff to ride with tho. Even better if our lawmakers could get thier head out of thier B-folds and make em legit!

I really wish we could put together a web rally here in NY. 100 or so next summer to roar through some small towns. What would they do? Lock us all up for getting 200mpg? Explain that to the news! I'd actually feel bad for the poor cops doing all the writting with his Boss over his shoulder! Talk about writter's cramp!

yeah mach. thanks for a good reply back. yeah tshirts aint bad ideas. for now colors will be too much. and the thing is that its hard to get hold of these guys here at nyc. they are like nomads. they are always on the move. they are local but to convince them into forming a union is something different. i think forming this organized and well behaved union for MBers is great idea. last thing i want to add is that these kids are usually a little on the wild side. i mean they ride real crazy. not everybody would be able to keep up with them. not even me. i have seen them and even i was a little awed by their skills with whatever horsepowers they had on them. they are definitely club material.

My bike is a ht. I upped the compression by removing the base plate gasket (the one between the jug and block). I ported the head alittle w/dremel. 44t sprocket.

The reason for all this was because BGF sold me a scrap motor on e-bay. It was siezed to begin with. I broke a ring in disassembly and managed to find one .040 undersize from DAX (highly recomended) as is Blue collar Bob also (who offered to send one for free if he had time to look, if he had one).
Both of these guy's run great shops. This board supplied a wealth of info! The bike pulls like the DEVIL between 8 and 20 mph but flattens out at about 23.

As for clubs. I worked in a pizzeria up here when I was younger (18). I befriended a very good looking female co-worker (early 30's). Used to see her safely home party innocently ect. I knew she had a boyfriend (fresh out of jail) who rode a Harley (covered in tattoos). This used to drive him NUTS (that we were friends). I never made a move on her, she was just fun to be arround.

Before I hurt my back (seriously), I held a purple belt in one art and was 2 degree's away from my Black in another.

Some guy used to always come in and bother her. One day he grabbed her behind. I told him to get the flip out, he reached toward me. The cook said I hit him six times before he hit the ground (folded in the cornner). Affraid I ran to a friends house (he was bleeding profusely), I knew I got him a good one.

This guy was 6'5 300lbs easy, I was only 5'10" 150lbs. The cops laughed when they seen me...

I didn't realize it at the time. I had just done a BIG favor for her boyfriend who happened to be a President for one of the most powerful Club's in the Country. Infact she egged me on to go to a party he was throwing. I was young and unjaded. When I got there, I was affraid to go to the house, the WHOLE street was linned w/bikes. I was presented full colors (not a striker patch), a greyhound ticket, promissed a good job, bike and expenses paid (for awhile).

I had to decline due to personal reasons. The chance they offered and the trust these guy's put in me will never be forgotten, they were not BS'n me. At 38, it is still one of the best parties I've ever attended! Thanks, if one of the guy's see's this and was in Buffalo for it!

Moral is that Brotherhood is a good thing, I wouldn't have done anything different if it happened again (accept probably loss the fight) with my back the way it is. Never once was I threatened by this individual who's girl I walked home. I knew he didn't like me, untill I showed my true colors. These guy's (I would only find out latter) were where I belonged if I was to join. They are genuinely good people (not troublemakers). They packed up and left a few weeks latter. I never heard from them again. My heart tells me they're still together and doing well.

Best advice I could ever give, is be yourself and let your conscious be your guide. Do what is right for the right reason and you'll never go wrong! I regret not joining now, but the lord always has his way of working things out. I really wish I could spill my guts but will never compromise my true friends, friends are what this life is all about!